How to cite this article:

Abstract:

The bulk of the literature investigating the connection between social capital
and the welfare state explores the impact of the latter one on various manifestations
of the first one. The tested assumption is therefore usually related to the
effects of the institutional arrangements on the existing resources. Our paper
proposes a different approach, focusing on the effects of four social capital
indicators on very general attitudes towards the welfare state. Using multilevel
models, we show that the less formalized manifestations of social capital are
negatively related to the support for a broader welfare state, while for the more
formal ones the opposite holds true. Considering the relations between the welfare
culture and the shape of the welfare state (as described in the literature), and our
findings, we conclude that the institutional arrangements represent both a factor
which models social capital, as well as a consequence of the latter one.